Speeding up the military modernisation process, the defence ministry on Friday cleared procurement projects worth over Rs 7,000 crore including the long-pending acquisition of 145 Ultra Light Howitzers from the United States under a Rs 3,000-crore deal.
Attacking the government over defence preparedness and shortage of equipment, the Bharatiya Janata Party specifically targetted Defence Minister A K Antony in Rajya Sabha saying his "no work, no mistake and clean image" was a dangerous policy.
Seeking to turn the tables on the Opposition, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said that the present government has not purchased a single new Tatra truck and the current deliveries were being made as per the contract signed in 2003.
Admitting delay in construction of the navy's indigenous aircraft carrier, the government on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that the launch of the ship is now expected to take place next year.
The government will "seriously" consider a proposal to bar senior officers of defence forces from taking up private job for five years after retirement, the Rajya Sabha was told on Wednesday against the backdrop of a retired Lt General's alleged role as a lobbyist.
Against the backdrop of controversy over Tatra truck deal, government today told the Rajya Sabha the purchases were made as per the requirement raised by defence forces and action will be taken if any wrongdoing was detected in the ongoing CBI probe.
A source in the Congress party has said that the name of the next presidential candidate from the UPA would surface by May 25. Renu Mittal reports
In a first, India has seized a bank guarantee worth Rs 224 crore furnished by an Israeli defence vendor for breach of integrity pact after the company was blacklisted for alleged involvement in graft cases related to ordnance factories.
Sending a strong message to "wrongdoers" in the armed forces, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday warned of "strictest possibile action" against those indulging in acts of corruption.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal on Monday took up the issue of control over Shimla's Annandale grounds, on which his government is at loggerheads with the army, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said he would meet Defence Minister A K Antony also on the issue.
Antony asked the commanders to be more vigilant and to take appropriate steps in the light of Sunday's developments in Afghanistan which saw a series of suicide bomb attacks, defence ministry officials said.
P Chidambaram proposed that Sonia should be made the party's interim president.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has taken a major share of the pie of the Empowered Group of Ministers and Group of Ministers after the exit of Pranab Mukherjee.
In the backdrop of the recent storm over alleged corruption in defence procurements, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said the country's interests were paramount and there will be "no cover up and no vendetta".
The only business that the House could transact was laying of official papers on the table of the House.
After Rahul Gandhi reviewed the Uttar Pradesh poll debacle, another review committee led by senior leader A K Antony would go into the causes of the Congress rout in Uttar Pradesh and Goa as also the shock defeat in Punjab and the performance in Uttarakhand.
Defence Minister A K Antony and Army Chief Gen V K Singh on Tuesday paid tributes and laid wreaths at the cemetery of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw on his 98th birth anniversary.
Army Chief General V K Singh will have a meeting with Defence Minister A K Antony to discuss procurement projects for the army, their first official meeting days after his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the poor state of defence preparedness got leaked.
"It is a much more serious issue and is not like what the media is making it out to be, that Sharad Pawar is angry at being not made No 2. Being such a senior politician and minister, he has never asked for higher posts," says NCP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member D P Tripathi
Defence Minister A K Antony and Army Chief General V K Singh will attend a function at Udhagamandalam on April 3 to mark the 98th birth anniversary of Field (Fd) Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
Under attack over alleged inaction on corruption charges, government on Friday said Defence Minister A K Antony has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into a case relating to public sector undertaking BEML even as inquiry was on into a complaint about an alleged scam in purchase of Tatra trucks.
As Central Bureau of Investigation looks into army chief General V K Singh's letter seeking probe into the allegations of corruption against Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, Defence Minister A K Antony disclosed Thursday that the official has been recommended for promotion as a Commander of a sector.
To date none of the companies that Defence Minister A K Antony publicly named have been told the charges against them, nor has any CBI charge sheet been filed. Ajai Shukla reports
Defence Minister A K Antony has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into Army chief General V K Singh's allegation that he was offered a bribe Rs 14 crore to sanction the purchase of a consignment of sub-standard vehicles.
Defence Minister A K Antony expressed his displeasure to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in presence of their Cabinet colleagues on Thursday, for permitting 51% Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday slammed China for raising objections to his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, describing Beijing's comments on the issue as "most unfortunate" and "really objectionable".
Defence Minister A K Antony said on Monday that the "unfortunate controversy" over Army Chief General V K Singh's age had come to an end with the Supreme Court judgement and asked his colleagues to close the chapter.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday hosted a farewell dinner for Army Chief General V KSingh who retires on May 31.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday said that the Centre would soon resolve the Telangana statehood issue in an "amicable" manner that would "satisfy the aspirations of the people" of the state as the strike in support of the demand entered the 27th day. Grappling with the pro-Telangana agitation, Reddy rushed to the capital along with his deputy Damodar Rajanarasimha and held consultations with senior Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday refused to comment either on the Supreme Court ruling on Army Chief Gen V K Singh's age row or his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.
Rediff.com takes a look at the revamped Cabinet of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:
Congress young guns take offence over old guard's utterances.
In a written reply to the House, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "17 offset contracts have been signed so far with a value of about $4.279 billion... Offset policy was introduced in 2005. It is a relatively new policy and is in the process of evolution. The first offset contract was signed in 2007."
Congress President Sonia Gandhi will not be attending the swearing-in of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as West Bengal Chief Minister in Kolkata on Friday.
Against the backdrop of the killing of Al Qeada leader Osama bin Laden and the situation in Pakistan, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday took stock of the country's overall security scenario with the military top brass.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday faced an embarrassing situation in the Rajya Sabha when he laid a corrected version of a statement made in the House last week on the purchase of MiG fighter aircraft, triggering protests from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Indian Air Force has incurred an expenditure of Rs 28.83 crore since 2009-12 in the form of air-travel of various dignitaries and an amount of Rs 11.80 crore remain outstanding, government told the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Of the 872 MiG series fighter aircraft purchased by the government till 1980, a total of 482 planes have crashed till now, killing 171 pilots and 39 civilians, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
India spent Rs 15,443.01 crore during 2010-11 to import arms and ammunition marking an increase of Rs 5,266.93 crore as against the defence expenditure in 2007-08, the government said on Monday.
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